Practice green pin holder and cup

ABSTRACT

A pin holder with cooperating cup for use on golf practice greens. The upper surface of the pin holder includes a centrally located apertured boss designed to receive and hold in an upright position the staff of a practice green marker. The lower surface of the pin holder includes spikes so that it can be planted on the green in an upright position when out of the cup, thereby discouraging the throwing of the pin assembly on the green and obviating the inconvenience of stooping to pick up the pin. The cooperating cup includes a central aperture and a concentric groove to receive the spikes and hold the pin marker in a stable, upright position in the cup. The pin holder also includes an upwardly extending peripheral flange to prevent a golf ball from rolling off its upper surface.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Thomas E. Stapleton, Jr Primary Examiner-George J. Marlo 6915 E. Windsor, Scottsdale, Ariz. 85257 Atl0rney-Drummond, Cahill & Phillips 91 %w 2 0 7 3 s 0W3 5 8AM o d N m l n mm "a AFP UN Qr rM f mmmmwmm s er m% 6 se w cd ud m nu re t l. ro c m .lc flS. h .m.m .m amm w mwm mmw g C c mem n ef i m n d OWN Lem m xmn m w m m W abSha m o gu efi nSO nS r.p W nr m w m k A new m omr fmw t 6 e n mkmfmm oo tC Tne t MaM. l w S U f' .m peh nhomp rld ft e O mu O dmmmomwfl w A m m m m R m mm E M W] m m m H m m m N. m mm mm m m m m mm m mm R m m mm Gm m we E m M M W d M S mk U H UN l l ll 5 6 R f Cted central aperture and a concentric groove to receive the spikes 1 e erences and hold the pin marker in a stable, upright position in the UNITED STATES PATENTS cup. The pin-holder also includes an upwardly extending 979,3l3 l2/l9l0 King et al........v.. peripheral flange to prevent a golf ball from rolling off its 1,829,283 10/ l 931 upper surface.

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' PATENTED man \971 :Fi-EJ INVENTOR,

THOMAS E. STAPLETON,JR

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AT TO R N EY S PRACTICE GREEN PIN HOLDER AND CUP My invention relates to a device for holding a golf pin in an upright position while not in use as a marker.

In another aspect, my invention relates to a device for protecting the practice greens from excessive abuse caused by throwing pin markers on the green.

In yet another aspect, my invention relates to a device to avoid the inconvenience of stooping to pick up the pin marker:

in yet another aspect, my invention relates to a device for retaining a practice green pin marker in an upright position while being used as a marker.

A practice green is a specially prepared lawn-type area planted usually with grasses adapted to providing smooth, carpetlike surfaces for rolling golf balls. A practice green may be large or small,'but always having a number of holes for the reception of golf balls. The general use is to practice putting, that is, the aiming of the golf ball at a distance from the hole and the-striking of the golf ball with a club with the object of placing it in the hole, Because the rims of the holes are flush with the surface of the green, it has been found convenient to mark them with small pins (usually no more than 3 feet high) for the purpose of assisting the golfer in lining up his shot.

' The prior art has developed hole devices and markers for use on greens. Generally a metal or plastic cup defines a hole in the green. A golf pin is a straight cylindrical shaft with a venient means for placing the pins inan upright positionin the green when not in use. As a consequence, the pins are thrown down upon the surface of the green often causing injury to the delicate turf.

, Because of the necessity of either throwing or laying down the pin in ahoriz'ontal position on the green, it was necessary to bend and stoop to place it on thegreen and to recover it. The tendency is to throw it down initially to save the stooping entailed in placing it down carefully on the green. in the process of recovering the pin the player has no choice but to bend to pick up the pin.

My invention provides a convenient device for standing the pin upright without damaging the green, resulting in increased enjoyment of the game.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a practice green golf pin holder which can be planted upright on the practice green, when not in use, with a minimum of disturbance of the turf.

Another object of my invention is to provide a golf pin holder which obviates the inconvenience of bending over to lay the golf pin on the green and to pick it up again.

Another object of my invention is to provide a practice green cup which will receive and hold in upright position the pin holder when in use as a marker.

Other, further, and more specific objects and advantages of the invention disclosed will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FlG. l is a perspective view, partlyin section, of a presently preferred embodiment of my invention in use as a cup marker wherein a section of the cup portion is removed to illustrate the fitting relationship between pin holder and cup and to illustrate the appearance of the upper portion of the pin holder.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of the bottom of the pin holder and the relationship thereto of the depending spikes. Y

FIG. 3 is a view in section of the cup member.

Briefly, in accordance with my invention, l provide a mean for holding a golf pin and a cup means for holding the pin holder, both in substantially vertical position. The body of the pin holder is a round disc having substantially flat surfaces on the top and bottom. On the top center of the base I have added a boss, the center of which has a recess, shaped and dimensioned to receive the end of a golf Bin. At the perimeter of the base I have constructed a vertical ange rising upwardly. The

diameter of the base is sized to fit the standard golf hole. On the bottom of the pin holder l have depended aplurality of spikes concentrically disposed about the center, and one spike in the center.

l provide a cup device shaped and dimensioned to receive the golf pin holder. Essentially, the cup device is a cylinder closed at one end with a flat bottom, a circular portion of which has been removed from the center. Around the center is a concentric groove which I have shaped and dimensioned to receive the plurality of spikes depending from the bottom of the pin holder.

Referring now to the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates the relationship between the golf pin 6, the pin holder 1 and the cup 7.

In the presently preferred embodiment of my invention the pin holder 1 is a flat, round disc on the upper side of which there is constructed a boss 4, round in shape with a recess 5 in the center and threaded inside to receive the end of the golf pin 6, An upwardly extending flange 3 rises from the perimeter of the disc 2. The diameter of the disc 2 approximates the inside diameter of a standard golf hole. The rise of the boss 4 and the flange 3 are not critical and need be only high enough to provide anchorage for the bottom of the pin 6, in the case of the boss 4, and high enough to prevent a golf ball from rolling off the surface of the pin holder 1, in the case of theflange 3.

in FIG. 2, which illustrates the bottom of the pin holder 1. l have provided depending spikes 8. In the presently preferred embodiment of my invention l have depended one spike 8a from the approximate center of the pin holder 1 and eight others concentrically disposed about its center. Again, the exact location of these spikes 8, 8a is not critical, but I have found that the pin holder 1 has more stability if the circledescribing their location is located somewhere near the outer edge of the pin holder 1.

in the presently preferred embodiment of my invention, the pin holder 1 is a one piece casting, as is the cup 7, hereafter described. g

FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrate views of the cup 7, in section. The general shape is that of a cylinder with a closed end. The inside diameter of the cup 7 is the standard diameter of a golf cup hole. A circular portion 9a of the bottom 9of the cup 7 is removed to facilitate drainage of water and to receive the depending center spike 8a of the pin holder 1. A concentric groove [0 is provided to receive the spikes 8 depending from the bottom of the pin holder 1. The cup 7 may be of any convenient depth sufficient to receive a golf ball.

lclaim:

l. A golf pin holder and cup device comprising:

a golf pin holder having a circular disc base including;

a boss on the top center of said base, said boss having a recessed means in its center to receive and hold the end of a golf pin;

a vertical flange rising upwardly from the perimeter of said base; and

a concentrically disposed plurality of spikes depending from the the bottom thereof;

a cup device shaped and dimensioned to receive said golf pin holder, said cup device having;

a flat bottom with a center circular portion thereof removed; and

an inside concentric groove shaped and dimensioned to receive said plurality of spikes depending from the said pin holder. 

1. A golf pin holder and cup device comprising: a golf pin holder having a circular disc base including; a boss on the top center of said base, said boss having a recessed means in its center to receive and hold the end of a golf pin; a vertical flange rising upwardly from the perimeter of said base; and a concentrically disposed plurality of spikes depending from the the bottom thereof; a cup device shaped and dimensioned to receive said golf pin holder, said cup device having; a flat bottom with a center circular portion thereof removed; and an inside concentric groove shaped and dimensioned to receive said plurality of spikes depending from the said pin holder. 